Jack's Round 1 Premier League Predictions
Happy new season, everyone.
Having already set the scene with my full season preview which you can read here, we're focusing only on the Round 1 fixtures and the Premier League Predictor today.
The opening round of a new campaign is never easy predictions wise, as we'll obviously know a lot more about each team by the time we reach Round 3 or 4. This year, we arguably have more unknowns than ever, because there are new managers all over the shop.
Those previews are where I look to provide much more detail for every individual game, with the necessary team news also provided alongside a data-driven prediction based on the aggregate taken from top performing Superbru players.
Once we get going, I'll look back at how I did in each previous round too, where I'm hoping to do much better than last season when comparing performance on the new charts we now have on the Superbru Football app 😅
Feel free to leave your own thoughts in the comments too so that we can have some good conversation alongside our picks in each round.
Arsenal are the team to beat this season and while I think Coventry will be competitive over the course of the campaign, a trip to the Emirates first up is a massive ask.
Saturday's 3pm slot here in the UK tends to be home to the most challenging predictions and that's certainly the case in this round. All three of those games could easily go either way, and while I was thinking a few days ago that I might pick Ipswich to win what is a relatively favourable home game on their return to the Premier League, Sunderland were solid last season and I think the Tractor Boys might be a bit light in attack initially (Julio Enciso is a great signing but likely won't be up to speed?).
Brighton vs. Villa is another tough one but Villa are going to be far from full strength in these opening weeks so Brighton have a good opportunity there in my opinion, even after a trip to the Arctic Circle this week.
Like most, I certainly have some doubts about Manchester City, but historically they've literally always beaten Bournemouth in the Premier League and I think they might remind everyone that they're still a strong side, albeit in need of some new players before the window shuts.
My final two predictions are 3-1 scorelines and perhaps the most punchy. As I said in my season preview, I think Liverpool might have some high-scoring games early on so that's more of a chaotic 1-3 pick rather than because I think Liverpool will be amazing, plus Newcastle are likely to struggle in midfield.
For the SW6 derby, I might have been a little harsh on Fulham, but will they be at it from the off defensively under Alvaro Arbeloa? I have a few doubts, and I think Chelsea will score a lot of goals this season, so that's a slight early gamble on the basis that most will be going 1-2 or 0-2 Chelsea.
🇸🇪 Alexander Isak returning to face Newcastle (hence the cover photo).
Liverpool need Isak to fire this season with Ekitike injured, and he'll be up against a Newcastle crowd that are fuming with a mass sale of key players which he arguably triggered last summer.
🫂 Last season's Real Madrid managers facing one another in the SW6 derby.
Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso also played together for Madrid, Liverpool and Spain.
🔄 Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil facing their former clubs just days after Everton and Palace completed a swap deal.
McNeil finally gets his fresh start and yet he's still going to be at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Have a good one, everyone! Which predictions do you disagree with?
Having already set the scene with my full season preview which you can read here, we're focusing only on the Round 1 fixtures and the Premier League Predictor today.
The opening round of a new campaign is never easy predictions wise, as we'll obviously know a lot more about each team by the time we reach Round 3 or 4. This year, we arguably have more unknowns than ever, because there are new managers all over the shop.
Match previews
If you're after a preview for each specific match this season, upgrade to Superbru Premium.Those previews are where I look to provide much more detail for every individual game, with the necessary team news also provided alongside a data-driven prediction based on the aggregate taken from top performing Superbru players.
My thoughts
This season in these opinion pieces, I'll be providing an image displaying my own personal predictions for you to compare with your own, but I'll be writing about the round more generally rather than game-by-game.Once we get going, I'll look back at how I did in each previous round too, where I'm hoping to do much better than last season when comparing performance on the new charts we now have on the Superbru Football app 😅
Feel free to leave your own thoughts in the comments too so that we can have some good conversation alongside our picks in each round.
Round 1
I'm not going with any particularly big upsets in Round 1, and on paper, the opening two matches look the most straightforward.Arsenal are the team to beat this season and while I think Coventry will be competitive over the course of the campaign, a trip to the Emirates first up is a massive ask.
Saturday's 3pm slot here in the UK tends to be home to the most challenging predictions and that's certainly the case in this round. All three of those games could easily go either way, and while I was thinking a few days ago that I might pick Ipswich to win what is a relatively favourable home game on their return to the Premier League, Sunderland were solid last season and I think the Tractor Boys might be a bit light in attack initially (Julio Enciso is a great signing but likely won't be up to speed?).
Brighton vs. Villa is another tough one but Villa are going to be far from full strength in these opening weeks so Brighton have a good opportunity there in my opinion, even after a trip to the Arctic Circle this week.
Like most, I certainly have some doubts about Manchester City, but historically they've literally always beaten Bournemouth in the Premier League and I think they might remind everyone that they're still a strong side, albeit in need of some new players before the window shuts.
My final two predictions are 3-1 scorelines and perhaps the most punchy. As I said in my season preview, I think Liverpool might have some high-scoring games early on so that's more of a chaotic 1-3 pick rather than because I think Liverpool will be amazing, plus Newcastle are likely to struggle in midfield.
For the SW6 derby, I might have been a little harsh on Fulham, but will they be at it from the off defensively under Alvaro Arbeloa? I have a few doubts, and I think Chelsea will score a lot of goals this season, so that's a slight early gamble on the basis that most will be going 1-2 or 0-2 Chelsea.
Storylines to watch in Round 1
For those that, like me, love a bit of a narrative:🇸🇪 Alexander Isak returning to face Newcastle (hence the cover photo).
Liverpool need Isak to fire this season with Ekitike injured, and he'll be up against a Newcastle crowd that are fuming with a mass sale of key players which he arguably triggered last summer.
🫂 Last season's Real Madrid managers facing one another in the SW6 derby.
Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso also played together for Madrid, Liverpool and Spain.
🔄 Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil facing their former clubs just days after Everton and Palace completed a swap deal.
McNeil finally gets his fresh start and yet he's still going to be at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Have a good one, everyone! Which predictions do you disagree with?
Superbru on X
The Bees to draw and also a draw at Portman Road.
https://i.postimg.cc/Tw1sxStF/Screenshot-2026-08-21-162412.png
Brentford 2-1 Tottenham (not sure on this at all as I believe Spurs have good record there)
Brighton 2-2 Villa
Man City 2-1 B'mouth
Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea 22 Aug 15:11
I don't rate any of Santos, Beleba or Tielemans either (Tielemans is ok but a mid-table player) and think they'll all be deadwood in two years. Like Ugarte is now - another midfielder their fans convinced themselves was brilliant before they watched him play. Many of their fans just don't learn about hyping up poor and average players they sign.
Even guys like Mbeumo and Cunha. They were delighted because they are 'PL proven'. But they are mid-table players - you will never win a league with guys like those two, Amad, Sesko, Rashford, Dorgu in your attack. It's nowhere near good enough to be an elite side. They're decent players on their best day
I admit I despise Man United so am biased against them. But I have been calling their failures for many years now. And to me this is the latest false dawn. So many of their fans (especially on sites like Redcafe) are far too positive and happy clapper types. This is why they overrate the team so much and are then shocked when it predictably falls apart. 22 Aug 13:43
Feels like people think they'll challenge by default just by not having Europe. But they're a basket case of a club. I think the jury is still also very much out on Alonso and his Leverkusen title win could be an anomaly, rather than the norm,
They have a lot of issues at the club. Being run by vulture venture capitalists who just throw money at any player then look to flip them, and having 1000 players on their books, being some of the main ones.
As I said, think Clearlake is their biggest problem. They just constantly buy any and every player and there seems to be no plan of how to integrate them successfully into the squad or gel a team together. It seems a little better this transfer window, maybe. But that sort of ownership isn't really about winning or doing well on the park - it's about flipping players to make profits. 25 Aug 13:29